THE INVASION OF SPAIN 183

to be dealt with according to the law. The men were,
in fact, definitely conscripts. Some were in the regular
army, and some in Blackshirt organizations. After the
first month or two the former seem to have predomin-
ated, especially in the commissioned ranks. All were
sent in Italian ships, and guarded by Italian men-of-war.
An officer's diary, captured at Guadalajara, is interest-
ing on this point, and also on the mentality of the fascist
invaders. It is translated in Spain Over Britain. The
entry for January 7th describes his departure from Italy.

Noiselessly the pirates of an ideal depart from their
Fatherland, on the most wonderful and most sacred
adventure. The Commander of the Naples Division
conveys to us greetings from the Crown Prince.

The soldiers have been given amulets with the
image of the Christ, the Holy Mother, and the Holy
Ghost. To-morrow, if all goes well, we arrive at
Cadiz. The anxiety continues—after all ours is a
pirate ship. But our * Papa * is protecting us. Warships
—ours and foreign.1

In this manner, carefully watched over by their navy,
blessed by the Vatican and by the Italian Government,
fully armed and equipped with Italian munitions, these
* volunteers" came over to the south of Spain. The
officers were probably keen enough, but the conscripted
men, as was to be seen later, had no great stomach for
the fight, especially when the influence of .the amulets
had worn off. These presumably were the same amulets
which the Seville priests distributed to the Moorish
troops on their arrival, assuring them that they would
ward off bullets.

1 H. Biythe, Spain over Britain, 19.